Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-12-09


foundation tO make ii probable He
claimed to have been sent by Gen, Beau
regard, who was in desperate straits for
ammunition to impress II train, have IL
loaded with powder and run it through
mt lightning speed. Had he been pressed
| more closely, he could have produced
passes proving himself worthy of belief
But it was not necessary to 90 50 far,
| The very appearance of Andrews, tail,
commanding and perfectly self possessed,
| speaking like one who had long been &c
customed to authority, was so much like
the ideal southern officer that Russel's
| crcdcncc was won at once. He knew very
| we'll that after such battle rs Pittsburg
Landing it was natural that powder
should he scarce, and if it did not come Mt
! once. what more natural than to send for
it? Seeing the impression that he had
| made, Andrews, who, of course, did not
work at throwing on wood, but left that
TO his companions, asked if he could not
be supplied with a schedule of the road,
rs ii might he useful RuSSei, in his
patriotic fcrvor, took down and handed
out his own schedule. saying that he
would ''Send his shirt to Bfauregarl" il
the latter wanted it, When asked after
ward If he did not suspect man who
made such IN unreasonable demand he
answered: NO: I would "a soon have
suspected Jefferson Davis himself a. one
who talked with tn" Assurance that An
drews did y
We were nov within seven miles of
Kingston, r'-upplicd with wood and
water, without having met the slightest
hindrucc and with u full schedule III the
road Bat ut Kingston we had more rra-
son lp apprchcnd danger thau anywhere
else a!nh.; the route. \ branch rual from
Rome connected there with the main
track, and IN" morning train from that
town would be awaiting our arrival
TL.s, with lhe local freight which WE
hoped to meet and the complicated
arrangement of the switches, would con
sttutc no small obstacle 20 our onward
progress. The real difficulties surpassed
expectations. Andrews had made him
self familiar with the minlltcst working
of the road at this point, a also at Dial
ton end Chattanooga and we would soon
be able to see how NJ Would overcome The
hndranccs in his way.
We reached Kingston It little ahead OF
time. \ glance showed IL that the local
freight mad 1.ot yet arrived without thu
slightest hesitation Andrews ran Il fcv
hundred yards past the station, and or
dcrcd the switch tender - arrange the
then W. backed ou' on it, stopping on he
west sid" Of the station and Amos 'ii
rrctly alnH-~''r ol he Rome passenger
train, then l}iuL On Il own track. which
joined the main line still further NORTH.
This train WaS expecting he coming Of
Fuller mail, and OF course IA. arrival
of our partial train in the place ot In" one
they Were expecting was n matter If the
greatest interest to hon The engineer
stepped over t. our lAcowntiyr 1nt -a.t
with an oath:
How is thi~. What, mp Here, he.r
engine with none Of their men on board
Fortunately AndrrwS was ius; ut h.uI
and prompt; replied. II hnye taken this
train ny Government authority t. run a!n-
lnnnitiOn through - GrD B,aurc-Sj"I
who must have Il at once
lie waved his hani tnWlyp the car in
which we "crr shut NJ representing NE
POWDER and hey inquired M further IA
that direction. bui simply asked when he
passenger train would BE- along. Andrews
responded indidereatly that Ae could 10.
tell exactly, pul ~upW>nri Il Womb tot o2
\ great while, rs thy Nrrr Getting out
another train when h" left A,!Huta With
this cold coIniurt they We're Obliged Ia d"
cuntented. ana Andrews, .ra.in4 the en-
gfue in care Of his th.,' cnmr,idcS wen
into the telegraph ot1icc, which was on
the side Of The depot neNt lis, and asked!
Nv hat is the matter with tn. local
freight that il is not h-,rr." He va,
shown a telegraph dispatch for t'ullcr,
ordering him tn wait n th;. point for is
cnming-an indication that il was NOT
very lar away. Thi, was the only ,uirr-
nation youchSaf2l 10 ,Is by thr lnana ~
ment of the road during the whole Of 'ha,
clentful day.
Andrews returned 80 HI, engine. AMI
,iocrl there, or walked about an the cl,l
III the platform near by during the tu,io1iS
moments of waiting. he did not seek Ia
enter into conversation with any one, but
quietly answered any questions asked.
He appeared ab,tgartcI and a iltt,e
anxious. a. was natural for one rnnnins
an express ammunition train. on which
the safety OF an army might depend 1t
Wa5 nNtunate that his real AMI Assumed
characters were 81 mich in harmony
Brown, Knight and Wilson altendc7l Ia
their engine, seeing that all WAS III gD,rl
order with II reas.inabl" head of steam.
and rttruned. ~ far n they could, from
any kind OF conversation, answering all
Fsdemands in mOnoSylMblcS. Their position
during this enforced stop WAS cmbarril,,.-
ing, but inr less painitl than orr, in the
OUTSIDE, VT kneW that We were at a SIT
ton, ind alongside another train, AMI
could bear the tread Of feet; hut WE could
not learn why We dill not press on. \
thousand conjectlires will spring mp M
such times; and the possibilities OF pur
situation were ample enough f,r MI kind
ot imagining. We had t0lelnbiy high
estimate Of oar fighting power, ami did
not doubt that We could capture any m
dinGYy train, or thr usual crowu aro,lnd
Village station, But so be shut up N
the dark whilc-far aUght w. k,rN-t..,
enemy might b. Conr"uti1.in. An uap.-
Whcfming force against Us, was clrrsI
ingly trying. and put Ia" implicit conf
dence We hid in oar eadcr 90 very -
we're test. There WAS no prtrautioa An
drews had neglccte1-pIOha5lY bccar,r
he trusted SD fnlly in MS own magycl0il-
gcnius-but the need of which was leit
keenly afterward. No lieutenant was ap-
pointed. One ~lO could have taken
oh. Of Ia A